The Offical Blog of Alison Stein & Alison Wonderland Jewelry NYC

Alison’s Portfolio: Culture, Politics & Trends

Here are some stories I’ve written on culture, politics and trends. (Also take a look at the stories in my health and business portfolios, as there’s lots of overlap.)

Big Biz Profits in Hawking Our Values. The Chicago Tribune, January 28, 2005. These days, it’s not enough just to be a well-run business–in fact it would be almost heretical for a company to say it is "good" based solely on its ability to turn an honest profit. We want our companies to give to charity. Download ChicagoTribOpED.pdf

Working Together. American Archaeology, Spring 2005. Native Americans have often been suspect of archaeology. But when the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation wanted to learn more about their history, they consulted an archaeologist. Download AmericanArchPequot.pdf

A New Flavor in the Melting Pot. Forecast. With Names like Jorge Singh and Diego Chan, Asian Hispanics are at the nexus of two of the most powerful demographic trends in recent years. Download ForecastAsianHispanic.pdf

Oh Come All Ye Faithful. American Demographics. As religious organizations seek to maintain their flocks in this fragmenting world, they’re increasingly tailoring their core product – religion itself – to the needs of specific demographic groups. In the face of flat religious attendance, churches and synagogues have long borrowed marketing tools and tactics from companies selling more worldly goods to attract people to their congregations.

Why Shrinking Cities Sprawl. Sierra Magazine. For most people, the word "sprawl" conjures up images of boomtowns in
the rapidly growing West and South, like Las Vegas, or Nashville, or
Atlanta. But metropolitan areas with stagnant-or even
declining-populations can also suffer from sprawl. To read, click image at left.

Shining Stars. Yankee Magazine, April 2003 Just about every week, somewhere in New England, the Red Star Twirlers take the stage. Ranging in age from just six years old to 20, the 36 girls in this troupe flip, twist, toss, and twirl a baton in ways that defy both gravity and the imagination. One performer balances an 18inch baton across the bridge of her nose; another rolls a still- twirling baton across her back, then catches it-still rotating-in her other hand. Still another Red Star throws her baton far into the air, snakes her hand between her egs, and catches it behind her back before tossing it to another twirler. All of these acrobatics are perfectly timed to music, interspersed with dance moves. All of the twirlers beam from ear to ear.Download shining_stars.pdf

The Next 25 Years. American Demographics. The demographic book on
2025 has already been written, as most of the people who will be alive
then are already alive today. What are the fundamental demographic
trends that will shape the consumer market over the next
quarter-century?